


Clockwork Moon

by floralnori



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Chinguline (EXO), Hip Hop, M/M, dance studio AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-01-23 22:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12517608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floralnori/pseuds/floralnori
Summary: When they posted Kyungsoo’s choreography to “Clockwork Moon” by Loey, featuring Kris and Tao,  they never expected rapper Park Chanyeol to show up at the dance studio looking to collaborate on his next hip-hop single.





	1. Prologue

Kyungsoo stood just out of the frame, waiting for Luhan and Minseok to finish cueing the music and prepping the camera for the first take. They’d run through the dance three times before finalizing how Luhan would shoot the two-minute dance clip. Everyone had an opinion. Baekhyun liked to choreograph the camera movements like an additional dancer while Jondae typically stuck to zooming in or out and panning when the dancers moved from one side of the room to another. If Kyungsoo’d had his way, they would have just set the camera on a tripod and hit record, but Luhan talked him into a couple of zooms and one movement.

Classes had wrapped for the day, but the usual crowd had shown up to watch. The sides of the room were packed with students, but one group of girls chose to sit on the other side of the glass doors snacking on the chips and soda that were prohibited in the studio. 

Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how many times he’d been filmed since Minseok started the YouTube channel to advertise for his small dance studio. They were a small company with just four instructors if you counted Minseok. But they’d managed to post a new video every week-- something choreographed by one of the instructors or an occasional guest video by one of Minseok’s more and less famous friends from the industry. He was the newest instructor, and this was the first choreography of his that Minseok had greenlit.

Kyungsoo shook out his arms, rolled his shoulders, and kicked out each leg, trying to stay loose. Since he was the lead, instead of his usual black, black, and black, he wore a plain, white t with his ripped, black jeans and no cap. Jongdae had insisted on styling his hair up off his forehead-- yeah, yeah, so everyone could see his pretty eyes. He rolled his ankles. He was ready to go, go, go, already.

As if reading his mind, Luhan said, “I’m ready to roll.” 

Minseok shouted for quiet from the far side of the room. Kyungsoo checked to make sure his dancers were in position and signaled for Minseok to hit the music. 

Luhan called, “Rolling.”

Irene strode out to the center of the room. “Clockwork Moon” by Loey, featuring Kris and Tao. Take one,” she said and slapped her hands together. 

Ready to move, Kyungsoo bounced on his toes. He needed a new pair of shoes. He’d had these black and white low tops for a couple of months now. The spring was all gone, and they’d probably lost the support he needed to keep his feet and knees pain and injury free throughout his career. However long that would be.

Strong piano chords flooded the studio. The force of this majestic opening always pushed out whatever thoughts and emotions were clogging Kyungsoo’s mind and chest, leaving him an empty vessel for the song to fill and guide his movements.

Then Loey’s deep voice rose up from under the chords, introducing the theme of the song, head still down, Kyungsoo stepped into the frame alone. The piano fell underneath Loey’s voice and transitioned from carrying the melody to punctuating Loey’s rap. He stood frozen, listening to Loey talk about the solitary nature of life in the universe. Almost unconsciously, he popped his chest and rocked back on his heels on a high, light chord. His next moves were short combinations of pops and waves, gliding and rocking back, gestures to portray the rapper’s frustration and anger. Loey’s delivery picked up speed, and Kyungsoo’s movements became larger and more fluid while making each pop hit harder. As the song built to a crescendo, he glided toward the camera. Loey ended the first verse with a long pause, and Kyungsoo nodded to the camera in the silence.

When the grinding sound of electric guitars hit the room with the bass drum kicking the beat and the snare on a loop, Kyungsoo walked back from the camera. Baekhyun, Jongdae, Jongin, and Sehun joined him in the middle of the room, and the five of them formed an X-shape with Kyungsoo in the center. Kris and Tao took up the story, their delivery like rapid gunfire, and Kyungsoo led the dance. 

They’d spent the last week drilling the steps into their muscle memory so the movements were automatic and they danced together with machinelike precision. The lyrics spoke of the anger and alienation of being reduced to a faceless automaton in a cold, uncaring world. Meaning and comfort could only be found in relationships, the bonds between friends. Kyungsoo had tried to give those words shape and presence in the physical world. The dancers’ movements were sharp, forceful, filled with anger, but in sync. They were one. They had each other until the song ended. Silence flooded the room. Then they each walked out of the shot in a different direction except Kyungsoo who turned his back on the camera, head down, and walked to the far wall alone. 

He heard shouts and clapping as Luhan called cut. He walked the last few steps and rested his forehead against the slate gray wall, catching his breath. He looked down. Maybe he’d get another pair of the same style shoe if they still had them in stock. They were plain, ordinary, nothing-fancy shoes, but they did what he needed them to do. He liked that.

He pushed away from the wall. It was time to review the tape to see if they needed another take or three. Then they’d film the students who’d learned the choreography and wanted to show their moves to the world. The night was far from over.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When they posted Kyungsoo’s choreography to “Clockwork Moon” by Loey, featuring Kris and Tao, they never expected rapper Park Chanyeol to show up at the dance studio looking to collaborate on his next hip-hop single.

Chanyeol leaned his back against the high counter of the reception desk and looked around the KMS Dance lobby. The decor was what Chanyeol liked to think of as distressed industrial or just fucking cool. The desk was brushed stainless steel with a thick glass countertop, and two angular, black leather sofas were pushed up against the unfinished concrete wall. Chanyeol probably would’ve sat on one while he waited for his appointment, but they were both currently occupied by napping, teenage boys.

He drummed his fingers against the cold steel. He sighed and looked back at the front door then around the lobby again. Drum. Drum. Drum. Today was a big day. Where was everybody? Drum. Drum. Drum. Why weren’t they here yet? Drum. Drum. Drum. Big day. Big day. Drum. Drum. Drum. 

When it looked like no one would be coming out to meet him at the desk, he decided to look around. He couldn’t stand here forever waiting, and no one could blame him for looking around. After all, if they didn’t want people wandering about, they would’ve had someone guarding the door.

The hallway was relatively quiet. Kim Minseok must have spent a fortune soundproofing the studios when he renovated this warehouse in the Seongsu neighborhood of Seoul. As he approached the glass doors of the first studio, he heard muffled music and recognized “Nights With You” by MO. The students were mainly teenage girls and probably not beginners. The instructor wearing silver, wire-framed glasses danced at the front of the room with the students, while the one with the sharp cheekbones gave instructions as he walked around the class.

Of course, he knew the instructors as two of the dancers from the “Clockwork Moon” video-- Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae. Actually, he recognized them not just by _the_ video but _all_ of the videos on the studio’s YouTube channel. And he might have spent some time clicking through Baekhyun’s Instagram account too. It wasn’t that he was cyberstalking them. At least not for personal reasons. This was business, and in business, it was essential to gather as much information as you could about potential business partners.

So he’d just seen two of his PBPs, as he just now decided to call them. Where was the third? He looked down the hall and felt deja vu at the sight of a group of girls sitting on the floor in front of a glass door while snacking on chips and soda. He stuck his hands in the pocket of his hoodie and ambled in that direction. Perhaps he’d found his other PBP.

The girls didn’t seem to notice him when he stood behind them to look into the studio. Do Kyungsoo sat at the front of the room and led the class in stretching exercises. Because he faced the mirror, Chanyeol had a good view of his face. Unlike in the video, he wore thick, black-framed glasses, and his bangs covered his forehead. He appeared to be counting out the seconds as he twisted to the side with his right leg crossed over his left. Chanyeol had heard the man’s voice on several of Baekhyun’s videos on Instagram, but he couldn’t wait to hear what it sounded like in person.

Chanyeol cleared his throat to get the girls’ attention. Only one of the three glanced behind her at the sound. Chanyeol pointed at the door, and the girl scooted a couple of inches to the side. She gave him the Mean Girl up and down look while putting another chip in her mouth. Her look made him acutely aware of his appearance-- ripped jeans and a black sweatshirt with the hood up. Perhaps he should have dressed up for his first meeting with his PBPs. He waited a moment for her to either recognize him or move further out of the way so he could get to the door. When she didn’t do either, he gave her an apologetic smile and stepped through the narrow space between her and the other two girls. There was barely enough room to pull the door open and squeeze through the gap.

“No,” a voice said from the front of the room. “I am not going to be teaching krumping in this class.” 

What had he missed while he had a stare-down with the girl at the door? Chanyeol closed the door behind him and looked around the room. Kyungsoo appeared to be addressing a boy with small, high eyebrows sitting in the front row. A second boy near the back raised his hand. Chanyeol walked about ten feet into the classroom, leaned against the wall, and prepared to watch for a while.

“As I told you when you signed up, Mark, this class is an intro to hip-hop. I’ll be teaching the basics of popping, locking, waves, and glides. You need to have those down if you want to learn more advanced styles like krumping.” The boy in the back lowered his hand, and Kyungsoo turned to look at him. “Doyoung, does that answer your question too?”

Kyungsoo’s voice was even smoother and more resonant than in the videos. Chanyeol closed his eyes to isolate the sound from the visuals. What would Kyungsoo’s singing voice sound like live or recorded with a microphone better than the one on a cell phone? How would he describe Kyungsoo’s voice?

“Excuse me. We don’t allow visitors in the classes.” 

Melted chocolate. His voice sounded like the taste of melted chocolate or the feel of supple leather.

Chanyeol opened his eyes. Kyungsoo stood a few feet away glaring up at Chanyeol through his thick glasses. His stare was intense, but that didn’t change the fact that he was one of the cutest people Chanyeol had ever seen. And he was so short. Chanyeol had known he was short. He’d compared Kyungsoo’s height with the other dancers in the “Clockwork Moon” video. While he’d seemed to be the same height as Baekhyun and Jongdae, he was much smaller than the other two dancers. Chanyeol felt like he was towering over him.

Kyungsoo took a step forward. “I need you to leave the studio.” He shifted his weight so one leg was forward, as though he were taking a fighting stance. “Now.” Kyungsoo’s expression hardened, and he furrowed his brow. “You’re interrupting my class, and you’re going to leave now.” He took a second step forward. 

Instinctively, Chanyeol took a step back and lowered his head. He took another when Kyungsoo stepped forward again. It wasn’t that he felt frightened, though he was a little intimidated. It was more that he felt the strange need to please Kyungsoo, and knowing he’d already displeased him, he was doing his best to look contrite and behave. They took two more steps, and Chanyeol felt the door at his back. Chanyeol pointed behind him, “I’ll just leave.”

Kyungsoo nodded slowly. “Thank you.” He turned his back on Chanyeol and returned to the front of the class. “Okay, everybody up. We’re going to get started with popping. It’s one of the three fundamental moves of hip-hop dance.” His gaze swept the room again and landed on Chanyeol at the door. He scrunched his eyebrows in irritation.

Chanyeol spun about and squeezed out the door to face the judging look on the girls’ faces. This time they scooted out of the way as though they didn’t want him to taint them. 

“You pissed off Kyungsoo-oppa,” the first girl said. She shook her head. “You do not want to piss him off.”

“He’s scary when he’s mad,” another girl said.

“But hot,” the third added before taking a sip of her diet soda. The other two turned to her and nodded. 

Chanyeol found himself nodding too, though he had the good sense to stop before they turned back to him. 

“Chanyeol,” a familiar voice called from the direction of the reception desk.

His manager, Junmyeon, and Zhang Yixing, SME’s principal choreographer, stood in the lobby with Kim Minseok. Chanyeol felt his mouth stretch and open into the smile SME had labeled as too goofy for his image as a hardened rapper and had strictly forbidden him from wearing in concert or any public appearance. But this wasn’t technically a “public appearance,” so he didn’t try to control it. He was about to meet Kim Minseok. 

In a flash, he was in the lobby and bowing to his idol. Minseok could do it all. He danced. He had the voice of an angel. And he could rap. Not many people knew that, but Chanyeol had seen grainy videos of Minseok participating in underground battles back in the early 2000s shortly before he debuted. 

He rose from his bow and said, “Park Chanyeol. Please take care of me.” Encouraged by Minseok’s smile, he added, “I am so happy to meet you. Wow, I can’t believe I get to meet you. Kim Minseok-ssi. You’re like my hero. Wow.” He bowed again.

Junmyeon tugged on his arm and whispered, “Hood,” in his ear. Chanyeol stood and pulled his hood down. Minseok had a broad smile on his face and held out his hand to shake. Chanyeol grabbed his hand and held it in both of his. He pumped it up and down a few times.

Minseok said, “It’s nice to meet you too. Please call me Hyung or Sunbae.”

“Thank you Hyung,” Chanyeol said. He felt his smile widen. He’d just called Kim Minseok, “Hyung.”

“Chanyeollie, Minseok offered to give us a tour of the apartments upstairs,” Junmyeon said. “Do you want to come with us or do you want to wait in the conference room. Byun Baekhyun and Kim Jongdae should be out of their class in a minute and will join you there.” 

Chanyeol rubbed the back of his neck. Go with Minseok-- Hyung!-- and see his actual apartment or meet his PBPs without his manager monitoring his behavior. 

“I’ll wait in the conference room.”

“We’ll take you there. It’s on the way,” Minseok said. He led the way past the studios. 

The girls in front of Kyungsoo’s studio turned to watch them walk by, and Minseok waved. They lifted their hands to wave back, but their eyes were on Chanyeol. There was still judgment in their expressions, but they also seemed to be trying to figure out who he was that he got to hang out with Minseok. Chanyeol grinned and waved as he passed them.

The conference room had a large, oval table in the center of the room, another minimalist leather sofa against the wall, and a kitchenette in the corner with a fridge, microwave, and electric kettle. Minseok told him the fridge and cupboards were stocked if he wanted something to eat or drink, but Chanyeol was too nervous to do more than grab a bottle of water from the fridge. He didn’t want to greet his PBPs with crumbs on his mouth or clothes. He sat on the blocky couch and had just begun to bounce his leg when the door swung open.

Chanyeol surged to his feet as Baekhyun bounded up to him, bowed, and grabbed his hand. Chanyeol opened his mouth to say hello when Baekhyun dropped his hand, and Jongdae grabbed it

“We are so excited to meet you,” Baekhyun said. “When Hyung told us you were coming and why, we were just bouncing off the walls.”

“Don’t you want something else to drink,” Jongdae asked. He pointed at the bottle on the floor by Chanyeol’s feet. “That isn’t even the good water. Hyung only stocks that because Kyungsoo refuses to drink the expensive stuff. He says it’s a rip-off and causing hardship in the places where they bottle the water.” Jongdae went to the fridge. “Let me get you something else.” 

“Kyungsoo doesn’t know you’re coming,” Baekhyun said. “We told Hyung not to tell him. He’s a huge fan of yours, and it’s going to be a surprise. I don’t know what he’s going to do when he sees you. There could be violence.” Baekhyun exchanged a look with Jongdae who shook his head. Baekhyun turned back to Chanyeol. “Not against you, of course. He’ll probably beat us up.” Baekhyun reacted to whatever expression was on Chanyeol’s face. “Not in front of you. Later. When you’re gone.”

“We have fresh rice cakes, too.” Jongdae held up a food storage container. “Kyungsoo’s going through this baking phase. It’s awesome. You have to try these.”

In a blink, Baekhyun had the rice cakes and a stack of napkins on the table and handed one of each to Chanyeol. “Here.” He pushed Chanyeol’s hand toward his mouth. “You have to try them. That one’s chocolate, of course. You could probably tell that by the color.”

Chanyeol took a small bite. He was in love. Not with the rice cake, though it tasted amazing and practically melted on his tongue. Okay, he was in love the rice cake. But he was also in love with Baekhyun and Jongdae. They talked. And talked. He, Chanyeol, hadn’t been able to get a word in since they’d entered the room. That was… That was a miracle. They were a miracle. He took another bite of the rice cake. As the flavor of chocolate flooded his mouth, Kyungsoo appeared at the door. Chanyeol thought he was in heaven.

“What is going on today?” Kyungsoo walked straight to the kitchenette and squeezed past Jongdae to get to the fridge. “Sehun and Jongin just kicked me out of my class. No explanation. They just said it was on Minseok’s orders and to come here. What the hell? And then before that, some homeless guy wandered into my class and wouldn’t leave. We really need to get someone other than Sehun or Jongin to watch the reception desk. They just use it as the opportunity to take naps on the couches.”

“Homeless guy?” Jongdae asked, he turned and gave Chanyeol an appraising glance. 

Chanyeol examined his black hoodie. He’d had it for years, and it was a little faded and frayed at the cuffs.

Kyungsoo’s voice was sharp when he said, “Hey. Where are my rice cakes? Don’t tell me you guys already ate all of them.”

“Homeless guy?” Baekhyun laughed and punched Chanyeol’s arm. “You mean, this guy?”

Kyungsoo glanced over his shoulder at Baekhyun and Chanyeol before turning back to the fridge. Jongdae and Baekhyun exchanged smirks and shared them with Chanyeol. Chanyeol tried to smile back, but the room felt tiny in that moment, and he didn’t know what would happen next. He vividly recalled Kyungsoo forcing him out of his studio. 

The moment seemed to last forever until Kyungsoo grabbed a bottle of the cheap water and closed the fridge door. He marched to the conference table, and Chanyeol backed away. 

Kyungsoo flicked him a glance as he grabbed a napkin and a rice cake and sat on the other side of the table. He opened the bottle and took a sip. “So, what’s going on? Why do you two keep looking at each other like that, and why is the homeless guy in the conference room?”

Baekhyun and Jongdae sat at the table facing Kyungsoo. Baekhyun folded his hands together and leaned toward Kyungsoo. “Soo-yah. Remember the video we posted two weeks ago?”

“Of course.” Kyungsoo flicked his gaze from Baekhyun to Jongdae to Chanyeol and back. “Why would you think I forgot?” 

“Our guest is here because of that video.” Baekhyun bent over to the tabletop until he was practically draped across it. 

He opened his mouth to continue but closed it when Jongdae slapped him on the back of his skull. Jongdae pointed at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo’s face had gone white, and his thick eyebrows were drawn together. He repeatedly smoothed the napkin against the table. He looked up at Chanyeol and opened his mouth to speak. Chanyeol held his breath.

“I see we’re all here now,” someone said from the doorway. 

Minseok walked into the conference room followed by Junmyeon and Yixing. “So have you all had a chance to introduce yourselves and start talking about Chanyeol’s proposal?”

“We hadn’t quite got that far,” Jongdae said. He pulled out the chair next to him, glanced back at Chanyeol, and pointed at it. 

Chanyeol took a deep breath and sat down. Across the table from him, Kyungsoo picked apart his rice cake and lined up the crumbs across his napkin.

Junmyeon, Minseok, and Yixing took the chairs at the other end of the table. They exchanged looks that Chanyeol recognized from countless meetings. It was the management equivalent of a wolf fight for dominance. Chanyeol thought Minseok would win and lead the meeting, but Yixing cleared his throat first.

“Of course, at SME we monitor our artists' online presence and whenever content associated with one our artists is uploaded we get alerted. After we saw your dance video, we brought it to Loey’s attention. It’s a track we’ve been thinking of releasing as a single with a video. We all enjoyed the choreography, and if we proceed, we'd like to incorporate it into the video.”

Kyungsoo looked up at Chanyeol from his rice cake. His face was still pale and blank. He blinked a few times before turning to face Yixing.

“But it’s more than that. Loey’s been given creative control of his next album and is looking to take it in a different direction than the first two.” Yixing looked at Chanyeol. “I’ll let you talk about that.”

Chanyeol glanced around the table. Everyone was smiling and nodding at him except Kyungsoo who had resumed picking apart his rice cake. Chanyeol turned so he could talk directly to Jongdae and Baekhyun. They moved their chairs so they formed a triangle and both could see Chanyeol. Chanyeol hoped Kyungsoo wouldn’t feel left out in this arrangement.

He took a deep, centering breath. This was zero-hour, show-time. He’d planned this proposal over the last couple of days, but he couldn’t help feeling nervous. This was a big, fucking deal for him and a lot of other people. He had to get this right. “Instead of just rap, my next album is going to be a mix of rap, R&B, and a ballad or two.” It was thanks to Junmyeon that Chanyeol was getting this opportunity, and knowing he was listening, he said, “I’ve always been interested in more than one genre, and I’m grateful I get a chance to branch out. After watching your choreography to “Clockwork Moon,” I was impressed by how you portrayed the message of the song. I watched your other videos on Minseok-hyung’s YouTube channel, and then a friend sent a link to an Instagram post of the three of you singing at a bar. You’re really, really good. Like, I was blown away.”

Baekhyun kicked Jongdae in the shin. He grinned. “Told you.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes, shook his head, and kicked Baekhyun back. He also grinned at Chanyeol.

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes and pointed his index finger at Kyungsoo. “I told you too.” He turned back to Chanyeol with an angelic smile on his face. “So you looked at my _public_ Instagram account.”

Chanyeol threw back his head and burst into laughter. He laughed so hard his body shook and he had to bend over and clutch his stomach to keep from exploding. 

As he calmed down, he realized others were laughing with him including Jongdae and Baekhyun. He cautiously looked across the table at Kyungsoo. 

Just as the cellphone microphone hadn’t done justice to his voice, the screen on his laptop hadn’t done justice to Kyungsoo’s smile. His lips formed a bow, his crescent eyes twinkled, and for a moment, all Chanyeol could do was smile back and breathe.

Junmyeon tapped his shoulder, and Chanyeol remembered what he was there for.

“I want to collaborate with the three of you. I have most of the album written already, but there are parts that I think you could help me with, and I definitely would like to have you sing with me on at least half of the tracks. Your voices sound so good together, and I think they would mesh well with mine too.”

Baekhyun had nodded along while Chanyeol spoke, and Jongdae wore a thoughtful half-smile. Chanyeol didn’t dare look at Kyungsoo again.

“The theme of my album is friendship and family, and I think your relationship really epitomizes that. So I’d like to get to know you better over the next couple of weeks, have you help me finish writing, and then record the album.” Chanyeol jolted when Junmyeon prodded him again. “That is if you’re interested.”

Jongdae shot to his feet. The movement sent his chair rolling across the floor until it hit the couch. Jongdae grabbed Chanyeol's hand and shook it. 

Baekhyun slid down in his chair until he was almost horizontal with his hands folded on his belly. He gazed at the ceiling with a grin on his face. 

Kyungsoo stared across the table at Minseok. His expression was concerned, but Minseok just gave him a warm smile in return. Chanyeol wondered what kind of relationship they had.

Jongdae tightened his grip on Chanyeol’s hand. “We are very, very interested. I think I can speak for all three of us.” His eyes tracked to the other two. 

Baekhyun shifted his head to look at Jongdae and Chanyeol. His grin widened, and he gave them a ‘sup nod. 

Kyungsoo was still looking at Minseok. His index finger sketched a circle from himself, to Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Minseok. 

“Kyungsoo,” Jongdae said in a soft voice. “We’re interested, right?”

Kyungsoo twisted his palm up and gave Minseok one last look before he turned to Jongdae and Chanyeol. Baekhyun sat up, and Kyungsoo’s eyes flicked in his direction before resting on Chanyeol’s face. “Yeah.” He scanned the faces of everyone in the room before he told the rice cake, “Yeah, we’re interested.”  
  


***

  


The meeting wrapped up shortly after that with Junmyeon talking briefly about the contracts that they would have to sign when they met again in a few days.

Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Kyungsoo were scheduled to rehearse for their next video, and Minseok invited Chanyeol, Junmyeon, and Yixing to stay and watch. Junmyeon declined, but Yixing agreed to stay when Chanyeol offered to drive him back to the office. Someone brought in chairs for them to sit along the far wall of Kyungsoo’s studio.

Baekhyun had choreographed this week’s video to “Havana” by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug. He stood near the back of the studio. In front of and to each side of him were two of Minseok's advanced students, Minzy and Victoria. In front them, Jongdae and Kyungsoo formed the widest part of the V-formation. Baekhyun started the music with a remote. 

The other four dancers stood still and looked at the floor. Baekhyun slowly swayed his hips to one side, shifted his feet to emphasize the rolling motion, and lifted his shoulder a minute amount. Then he slowly swayed to the other side. With the next sway he added a subtle hand gesture and tilted his head slightly. After a dozen bars, he started to slowly walk forward with the same rocking motion of his hips.

As he stepped past the women, they joined him in the movements. When he was a step past them, they began to follow him to the front of the room. Jongdae and Kyungsoo took up the swaying motion as well when Baekhyun was level with them. Baekhyun’s expression had been emotionless and focused on the mirror until he stood next to Jongdae. He turned his head fractionally, and Chanyeol though he saw sparks when the two looked into each other’s eyes for the moment before Baekhyun stepped past the other and focused on the mirror again.

Now that he’d seen that look, everything changed for Chanyeol. The song and dance went from hip-hop choreo with a Latin beat to seductive teasing. Baekhyun kept flicking heated glances at Jongdae, and Jongdae couldn’t keep his eyes off Baekhyun. 

Chanyeol was so caught up watching them, that he didn’t notice Kyungsoo until the dance transitioned from individuals in formation to two couples Salsa dancing while Baekhyun danced alone between them. Kyungsoo’s whole body radiated calm authority as he lightly and smoothly accompanied Minzy. His sure movements created a calm center for her to twist and spin around. 

The choreography had Victoria leave Jongdae to dance with Baekhyun. Then Minzy abandoned Kyungsoo for Baekhyun as well. While those three danced together, Kyungsoo walked to the beat to Jongdae, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him into a spin that ended with the two grinning and dancing together. Baekhyun called cut and pulled the remote out of his pocket to pause the music.

Chanyeol stood with Minseok and Yixing and clapped. Baekhyun smiled and gave a short bow. His smiled changed into a grimace of irritation when he noticed Kyungsoo and Jongdae hadn’t stopped dancing. Kyungsoo sent Jongdae into a spin that ended with Jongdae bumping into Baekhyun with a laugh. Jongdae stole Baekhyun’s remote and tossed it to Minzy. She started the song from the beginning, and Jongdae grabbed Baekhyun’s hands. Baekhyun pouted for a second before he began to sway his hips and allowed Jongdae to lead. Minzy and Victoria partnered up, and to Chanyeol’s surprise, Yixing asked Minseok to dance. 

Chanyeol stood awkwardly by the chairs. When Kyungsoo approached him, Chanyeol felt his heart pound. He had no idea how to dance like that, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Kyungsoo. At the same time, he really wanted Kyungsoo hold out his hand and ask him to dance. Instead, Kyungsoo dropped into the seat furthest from Chanyeol.

Chanyeol felt his face heat up, and he sat down too. He kept his gaze locked on the dancers until he heard a soft, “um,” sound from beside him.

As soon as Chanyeol looked at him, Kyungsoo turned back to at the dancers, but he had a tiny smile on his face. “I’m sorry about not recognizing you. Before. In class and the conference room.” He puckered his lips and made a funny face. “I’m honored that you liked the choreography and that you want to work with us.” He took a deep breath. He stood and faced Chanyeol. “I will do my best. Please take care of me,” he said and bowed.

Chanyeol’s face and chest felt hot while ice water pumped through his veins. He was excited and terrified that he was finally taking this step in his career. He dreaded making a mistake and the repercussions not only for himself but for the company and Junmyeon. Now, he also felt responsible for the fate of these three strangers, his PBPs, one of whom clearly had reservations but was still willing to trust him and do his best. Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun and Jongdae and then back at Kyungsoo. In his head, Chanyeol repeated Kyungsoo’s words. “I will do my best. Please take care of me.”


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put together a [Clockwork Moon YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnVutny7BhR77pLRul8tSJ3hrtsc8F1T4) that includes all of the songs mentioned. I’ll add to the list with each new chapter so don’t forget to check back.

Kyungsoo sat alone in the conference room, rolling his bottle of water back and forth across the table. He was plugged into his “Be Happy Dammit” playlist. It was on loop (he needed the constant noise to drown his anxious thoughts) but not shuffle (everything in his life was upside down, but at least he knew what song was going to play next). The playlist was a compilation of anime OSTs, children’s music, girl group singles, and the bubbliest songs by AKMU. The playlist was buried in a private folder titled “Music for Slow Murder” to scare off Baekhyun or Jongdae if they happened to find his phone unlocked and managed to drill down that far.

Minseok had let him know when the team from SME would arrive and having nothing else to do, he’d decided to wait it out in the conference room. He’d taken his revenge on Baekhyun and Jongdae for keeping it a secret for the first meeting and even made Minseok feel guilty for keeping it from him. It had been an ambush even if it was well-intentioned (Minseok) and not just to watch him squirm (Baekhyun and Jongdae) in the presence of his idol. 

To combat the memory of kicking Loey out of his class, Kyungsoo tapped the forward button on his playlist and skipped over the opening themes for _Haikyuu!!_ and _Robocar Poli_ to play “Genie” by SNSD. The choreography had been uninspiring, but the tune was upbeat and contagious, and the lyrics were fun. He stood up the water bottle and rocked it back in forth to the exaggerated beat of the song, mouthing, “That’s right, I love you / Believe in me always.” By the last chorus, he had forgotten last week’s embarrassment and was dancing his fingers to the choreography and softly singing, “Tell me your wish (I'm genie for you, boy) / Tell me your wish (I'm genie for your wish).” He ended the song by holding his hand to the brim of his ball cap to salute to the water bottle. 

To the opening notes of “Dinosaur” by AKMU, he looked up to see Loey standing in the open doorway. He wore a small smile, and his eyes could only be described as twinkling. As Kyungsoo watched, the smile widened to show a ridiculous number of teeth. The smile was mischievous and reminded Kyungsoo of Jongdae and Baekhyun. Kyungsoo’s face grew hot with embarrassment and panic. But while he didn’t know what to do with the earlier fond look, he was an expert in dealing with mischief-makers like Baekhyun and Jongdae. 

Hardening his expression into one of calm control, he pushed the water bottle away and stood up. He strode around the table to the doorway and poked his finger in Loey’s chest. “If you breathe one word of this to either Baekhyun or Jongdae, they won’t find your body.” Reassured by the way Loey’s mouth dropped open in surprise, Kyungsoo brushed past him and walked out of the conference room.

Once in the hallway, he barely needed a moment to consider his options. He was going to be sick, and he’d rather do that in his bathroom than the public restrooms off the lobby. He sped down the hallway behind the conference room and up the back steps to the apartments on the second floor. He kept his hand over his mouth as he punched in the code for the apartment he shared with Minseok. The door slammed behind him, and he ran to the bathroom off the living room.

As he huddled against the door staring at the toilet, he couldn’t believe what he’d done. He pulled out his earbuds. Even the cheerful theme to _Ojamajo Doremi_ couldn’t overcome his feelings of wretched despair. First, he’d humiliated himself in front of Loey with his finger puppet dance. Then, he’d threatened his life. He didn’t have the excuse that he didn’t recognize the famous rapper this time. Instead of a vagrant, today Loey looked like Loey. His hair was styled-up off his strong forehead, and he wore a leather, motorcycle jacket over a black tank top. 

He took off his cap and glasses and rested his forehead against his knees. Feeling his pocket vibrate, he put his glasses back on and pulled out his phone. 

**dae**  
where u

He took a deep breath. Then a second when the first didn’t calm him down.

 **Do Kyungsoo**  
I’m coming.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to do this. Minseok had just hired him as a full-time instructor, and that was his priority wasn’t it? He owed Minseok so much. He owed him for this clean bathroom, his bedroom down the hall, the food he ate, and the clothes he wore. He hadn’t known how to dance when he first met Minseok, so he owed him for that too. How was he supposed to sign a contract that would take him away from what was most important?

When Kyungsoo had tried to talk to him about it, Minseok had just smiled and said it wasn’t a big deal. Along with Jongin and Sehun, he had friends that could step in to teach the classes Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae would miss. He’d pulled off Kyungsoo’s ball cap, messed up his hair, and said, “It isn’t forever.”

Kyungsoo’s phone vibrated again, and he flipped it over without looking at the screen. He squeezed the brim of his cap to adjust the curve before putting it back on. “It isn’t forever,” he said. He picked up his phone, stuffed it back in his pocket with his headphones, and headed back down to the conference room. 

***

The seating arrangement around the conference table today was very different from the week before. Last week everyone had mixed together, but this week the table was set up for a business meeting. The group from SME faced the door, and the dancers from KMS Dance sat across from them.

With all eyes on him, Kyungsoo entered the room and took the seat between Jongdae and Baekhyun. He avoided looking across the table at Loey and his management but looked around Baekhyun to mouth “sorry” to Minseok. Baekhyun kicked him under the table, so Kyungsoo mouthed “Sorry” to him too. Baekhyun nodded and jerked his chin at the other side of the table. 

Kyungsoo adjusted the brim of his cap so it sat lower on his forehead before he turned his attention to Zhang Yixing, Kim Junmyeon, and Loey who was sitting directly across from him. He stopped himself from biting his lower lip and tried to maintain a poker face.

Junmyeon pushed three pink folders across the table. “Let’s get started. The contracts that you’ll sign today are for temporary employment with SME.” He gestured for Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Jongdae to open the folders. “The duration of the contract is either through the end of recording for Loey’s album, tentatively titled _The Chingu Line,_ or four months from today, whichever comes first. If recording has not finished by that date, we can renew the contract at that time. If we decide we would like you to be involved in post-production or album promotion, a separate contract will be made for that work. If you turn the page, you’ll see that we’re compensating you for twenty hours of work per week. We understand that you will continue working at KMS Dance over the course of the contract and are committed to helping you juggle both jobs.” He mimed turning the page. “We have decided to proceed with filming a music video for “Clockwork Sun.” This is a contract for your participation in the video as dancers and actors.” He turned and looked at Yixing.

Yixing leaned forward and looked directly at Kyungsoo. “There’s a separate contract for you. SME wants to purchase rights to the choreography you created for “Clockwork Moon." The amount of compensation is listed. You will no longer own the choreography, and the video will be pulled from the KMS Dance YouTube channel.” His eyes were serious as he said. “You are not being hired as the choreographer for the video. I will be choreographing the dance and will incorporate aspects of your choreography into it. I won’t ask for your permission or input in any decisions I make.”

Kyungsoo wanted to plug back into his playlist and run to the safety of his second-floor bathroom. Minseok had warned him they might do this. He could sell the choreography and accept their terms, try to negotiate for more money if he didn’t think it was enough, or tell them no and keep the rights to the dance. 

It would be an easier decision to make if Minseok had given him advice or told him what he thought about the video coming down. It was as much Minseok’s property as it was Kyungsoo’s but Minseok had always been like that. He was giving of his time and possessions, but outside of the dance studio, he never gave directions or advice. In the end, he would support your decision unconditionally. 

With his anxiety ramping up, Kyungsoo tried to remember what the next song on his playlist was. _That’s right._ He bounced his heel as he conjured up the rapid drumbeat of BABYMETAL’s “Gimme Chocolate!!” and pictured cute girls in black, babydoll dresses and ponytails bouncing around the stage. He knew everyone was waiting on him, but he didn’t have a clue what to do or say.

Junmyeon cut through the silence. “Why don’t we give you a few minutes to read through the contracts and talk it over. I understand that this is a big decision for you.” He pushed back from the table. “I’ll just see what you have to drink, Minseok.”

Yixing got up with him. When they opened the fridge, Yixing asked, “Do you want anything Chanyeol?”

Loey looked over his shoulder. “Yeah, just some water.” He shook his head when Yixing held up a bottle of overpriced, boutique water. He turned back and looked at Kyungsoo with a smirk. “Give me a bottle of the cheap stuff.”

Kyungsoo opened his mouth and turned to Jongdae. Before he could say anything, his chair was rolling backward. Baekhyun pulled him away from the table and over to the leather couch. He spun the chair so Kyungsoo faced him and Jongdae when they sat down.

“We’re gonna sign, right?” Baekhyun asked.

“Of course we’re going to sign.” Jongdae turned to Kyungsoo. “But what are you going to do about your choreography? Are you okay selling it? How much are they paying for it?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. He hadn’t looked.

Baekhyun grabbed Kyungsoo's folder and flipped to the last page. “I don’t know if this is a lot or not. Where’s Minseok.”

“Don’t bother,” Jongdae said. “He’s not going to tell you.”

Appearing at the mention of his name, Minseok leaned on the back of Kyungsoo’s chair. “What do you need?”

Baekhyun passed him Kyungsoo’s contract. “Is that a good amount or...”

Minseok glanced at it for a second before setting it on Kyungsoo’s lap. “What do you think? Do you think this is what your choreography is worth?”

Jongdae elbowed Baekhyun and mouthed, “Told you.”

What was the dance worth? Paring it down to the facts-- the choreography was only a thought in Kyungsoo’s head until Minseok agreed to film it and put it on his channel. The value of the dance was as advertising for Minseok’s studio, and therefore right now it was really Minseok’s to sell. And if it was sold, it was valuable to Loey and SME as an advertisement for the song and Loey’s “brand” as an artist.

For Kyungsoo, the value had been in how the song made him feel, what it made him think about, and how his body wanted to move in response to it. His return was when Minseok liked the choreography and gave him the go-ahead to teach it to the others and post it on the channel. He’d felt like he’d done something to show Minseok, Baekhyun, and Jongdae that all of the time and care they’d given him had been worth it.

He looked at the number on the page. It didn’t seem like a lot, but it wasn’t a little either. It wouldn’t change his life. It wasn’t enough for a downpayment on an apartment or a car. But he could reimburse Minseok a little for giving him a home and a job and a life. 

“What about the rest of the contract?” he asked Jongdae and Baekhyun. “What does it look like?”

Baekhyun opened his folder. Without looking up, he said, “They’re gonna pay us more than we get from Minseok for teaching. We don’t get a percentage of sales, but we will be credited as collaborators, and of course, we’ll be listed on any track we perform on. Yeah, I think it’s good.”

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun turned to Jongdae who was staring out the window. Baekhyun laid his hand on Jongdae’s knee and squeezed. This was Jongdae’s dream. Of the three, he was the most ambitious, the biggest dreamer. He and Baekhyun had both auditioned at the various companies around town without being selected. It had hurt, but he kept working. Between classes, Jongdae spent his free time rehearsing, not just dancing, but singing too. He had a voice any idol would sell his soul for, and he worked daily to improve. 

Jongdae turned from the window to smile at them. It was Kyungsoo’s favorite Jongdae-smile. His mouth was wide, showing all his teeth and crinkling his eyes shut. He looked like the embodiment of happiness. Baekhyun's face went blank for a moment before smiling back.

No one had said this was a package deal, that they all had to sign for one to be hired, but Kyungsoo would sign his life away if it meant that Jongdae and Baekhyun would always smile like that. They, along with Minseok, were his family now. Where they went, he’d follow. 

Baekhyun spun Kyungsoo’s chair around and pushed him back to the table. Minseok had joined Junmyeon and Yixing by the fridge, while Loey sat alone at the table. Had he been sitting alone the whole time? What had he thought about while he watched them discuss the contract? Kyungsoo studied Loey’s face. His mouth was a straight line, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Was he worried they would say no and not sign? He hadn’t said anything since Kyungsoo entered the room, letting Junmyeon and Yixing talk about the contract without his input. Had Kyungsoo actually scared him earlier? That didn’t seem likely, but he felt a regret and embarrassment wash over him. He had to do something to fix this.

He put the contract on the table. When he was sure he had Loey’s attention, he asked, “Got a pen?”

It was a little like going back in time. Loey’s mouth dropped open again, but this time Kyungsoo got to see his expression transition from surprise to excitement. The smile that took over his face didn't fit the image of intimidating, passionate rapper, Loey, but it was... cute? It made Kyungsoo want to smile back and (strangely) scratch Loey behind his big ears.

Loey reached into his jacket and pulled a cheap ballpoint out of his inside pocket. His smile only seemed to grow as he held it out for Kyungsoo to take. Kyungsoo nodded before he took the pen. He held it in both hands like a business card and offered it to Jongdae. Jongdae took it with equal seriousness and turned to sign his contracts. Baekhyun’s hand rubbed Kyungsoo’s shoulder, and Kyungsoo knew he approved of the gesture. Minseok, Junmyeon, and Yixing had come back to the table and stood behind Loey to watch Jongdae sign.

Once he was done, Jongdae pushed the pink folder across the table to Loey. Then he turned and gave the pen back to Kyungsoo. When Kyungsoo offered the pen, Baekhyun huffed and snatched it from him. He signed the contracts, slid the folder hard enough to bump into Jongdae’s, and sent the pen skittering across the table to Kyungsoo.

As Kyungsoo reached for the pen, he had another moment of indecision. He picked up the pen and glanced up at Minseok. He hoped for some sign of approval or warning, but Minseok just looked back at him with his usual serene expression. Kyungsoo let his gaze fall on Loey. His eyes were trained on Kyungsoo’s hand and the pen he held. 

Loey shifted in his chair as Kyungsoo signed the first two contracts. When Kyungsoo flipped to the contract that would sign away his rights to the choreography, he felt a sharp kick to his shin. He looked across the table at Loey. Was he trying to tell him not to sign, or was he just stretching and accidentally kicked him? His eyes were still focused on Kyungsoo’s hand, and his expression told Kyungsoo nothing about what he ought to do.

Kyungsoo shook his head and signed the last contract. It was one dance. There would be others. He tossed the pink SME folder on top of Baekhyun and Jongdae’s. He stuck the pen in his back pocket and avoided looking across the table. It was done. Now, he had to live with the consequences.  


***

  
It wasn’t actually done. Everyone had milled around the room, shaking hands or giving hugs (Baekhyun and Junmyeon). In response to Chanyeol’s suggestion that they meet in a couple of days, Baekhyun had punched his shoulder and asked why he wanted to wait.

Jongdae had created the choreography for this week’s video for three dancers, but now he wanted to add a fourth, Chanyeol. “Yixing said you'd learned to dance when you were a trainee. You might be a little rusty, but I think if we put in the time, you'll be up for the moves I have in mind. If not, we'll change it. And you’ll be in the back anyway since you’re a monster, and no one would see the rest of us if you were in front.”

Baekhyun threw his arm around Jongdae’s neck. “It’s a super fun too. None of the angry hits Kyungsoo likes to throw in. Jongdae’s all about having a good time. You’ll love it.” He snapped his fingers at Kyungsoo who was staying out of the conversation and stretching in the far corner. “You done over there?”

Kyungsoo stood up and shook out his feet. “You know, you should stretch more. You’re going to hurt yourself one of these days.”

“Next time.” Baekhyun headed to the middle of the room and faced the mirror. “Who’s got the remote?”

Jongdae held it up and hit play. He took his place in front of and between Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo began to bob his head to the intro to “Don’t Take The Money” by Bleachers. Jongdae’s choreography didn’t start until the beginning of the pre-chorus, but he liked his dancers to show that they’re having fun, to be moving and enjoying the music before the planned steps began. And Kyungsoo _was_ having fun, and he was ready to jump in as the pre-chorus began.

Dancing to Jongdae’s choreography always made Kyungsoo think of playing follow the leader at recess in elementary school. It was like Jongdae was leading them through a playground obstacle course that had them kicking, swinging their arms, ducking, and spinning to Jack Antonoff’s epic love song. The pre-chorus builds to the line, “I’m in love and you’ve got me, runaway.” On “runaway,” he, Jongdae and Baekhyun jumped into the air like they were taking a leap of faith. They were all at different heights at the top of the jump since this was only their second time rehearsing. It would take a few more rehearsals for them to be in sync

Back on the ground, they launched right into the chorus-- a declaration of love and an appeal to the loved one not to give up on their relationship. Eyes trained on Baekhyun in the mirror, Jongdae sang along to, “You steal the air out of my lungs, you make me feel it.” Baekhyun was as focused on the mirror as Jongdae and Kyungsoo, but Kyungsoo didn't know if he understood the intensity of Jongdae’s gaze and the meaning behind the English lyrics. As the singer pleaded, “Don’t take the money / Don’t take the money,” they held their hands out with their palms up, exchanged looks, and nodded to each other as though they’d asked and answered the question.

Jongdae never used his choreography to tell a story or convey an idea. His goal was to express the joy he felt in movement and music. He wanted the other dancers and the audience to have as much fun as he was. If it were up to Kyungsoo, he'd always choose Jongdae’s choreography over his own, Baekhyun’s, and even Minseok’s.

The second half of the choreography went from a slow start at the beginning of the second verse and slowly built back up to the pre-chorus. This time the jump on “runaway” ended the choreography, but they freestyled through the chorus, dancing like they were at a club. Both Baekhyun and Jongdae sang along, smiling at each other. 

Loey was still where they’d left him by the entrance. He’d taken off his leather jacket and looked like he'd just walked off stage-- dressed all in black, his tattoos displayed, and hair slicked back. But instead of the tense posture and stern expression he had when rapping, he wore a happy grin and was jumping around while singing along to the pop anthem. 

Kyungsoo elbowed Jongdae and pointed at Loey. Jongdae laughed and danced over to him. Loey let himself be pulled into the middle of the room, and the four danced and sang together. Kyungsoo smiled to himself as he joined in the refrain. This was the best way to kick-off their new partnership.

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a short chaptered fic, probably ten chapters, and I plan to update every two weeks.
> 
> Thanks for reading! And thanks to JeezAndCrackers for reading and encouraging my impulsive behavior!


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